VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0071 0150934
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 150934Z JAN 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7828
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7674
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 8936

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000071 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S REFERENDA 
 
 
Summary:  As the result of last Saturday's legislative elections 
continued to remain in the spotlight of the Taiwan media, news 
coverage on January 15 also focused on Taiwan's announcement Monday 
that it has terminated its 42-year-long diplomatic relations with 
Malawi after the latter switched its diplomatic recognition from 
Taipei to Beijing; on President Chen Shui-bian's meeting with AIT 
Chairman Raymond Burghardt during his stopover in Anchorage; and on 
DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's taking over the DPP 
chairmanship Monday.  The centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" 
devoted nearly its entire second page to an exclusive news story and 
analyses of the 28-hour-long confrontation between USS Kitty Hawk 
aircraft carrier and a Chinese submarine and destroyer in late 
November, 2007.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, an 
editorial in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily," citing the results 
of the two referenda in Saturday's elections, urged DPP presidential 
candidate Frank Hsieh to take the lead in withdrawing the proposed 
UN referendum, which will be held in tandem with the March 
presidential poll.  End summary. 
 
"The Two [New] Referenda Should Be Withdrawn" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] 
editorialized (1/15): 
 
"... One significant point [in Saturday's legislative elections] was 
overlooked: namely, the voters' attitude toward the referenda. 
[Last Saturday,] both referenda failed to pass the threshold [for 
validity], but for the referendum aimed at recovering the ill-gotten 
[KMT] party assets, a total of 4.55 million ballots were picked up 
by the voters, and a total of 4.5 million voters also picked up the 
referendum ballots against corruption in government.  Such a 
phenomenon indicated that at least more than four million people 
took the referenda seriously and did not follow the KMT's call for 
voters not to pick up the referendum ballots.  Given such a huge 
number of voters who decided for themselves not to pay attention to 
the KMT's [call], will it have no influence on the [March] 
presidential poll? 
 
"The fact that only 26 percent of the eligible voters picked up the 
referendum ballots indicated the voters' negative impression with 
the DPP's attempt to bundle the referendum with the elections every 
time.  But the fact that four million voters picked up the 
[referendum] ballots also manifested the voters' disgust with the 
KMT's 'last-minute decision to abandon' the referendum.  [The two 
referenda] on recovering the KMT's ill-gotten party assets and on an 
anti-corruptive government, respectively, were justifiable in terms 
of social justice.  It's a pity that they were used by politicians 
for political gains and thus rejected by the voters. ... 
 
"A-bian has stepped down [in his capacity as DPP chairman], and 
Frank Hsieh decided to take his own road.  Hsieh could take the lead 
and withdraw the proposed UN referendum, and the KMT meanwhile can 
withdraw its own referendum proposal [for the March presidential 
poll] as well.  Cancellation of the two bogus referendum topics will 
not only win the people's heart but also save a lot of money for our 
country." 
 
YOUNG